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When 63,000 troops leave your country.

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
New plans call for the Ramstein Air Base in Germany to stay open, but with maybe 3,000 troops. There's currently 68,000 troops in Germany. Other German bases would close. New, small ones with skeletal staff's would open in Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Poland. Theses would have light vehicles for rapid deployment.

I wonder what this will do to the countries that have serviced all of these US troops.
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The areas surrounding the bases will probably feel it radically.
    On the other hand the Eastern European countries, will have financial gains, which is only good, concerning their membership with the EU.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The changes make sense now that the biggest threat is from terrorists...or rebel armies in Africa.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    How do you think that rebel armies in Africa are a threat to the USA?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    How do you think that rebel armies in Africa are a threat to the USA?

    Not a threat. Blair has been after the US to be more active, together, in Africa to prevent some of the genocide that's been going on.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think its a good idea personally. Huge bases create resentment. My family were recently in Crete near a US naval base and they talked to some servicewomen who seemed under the impression that the Cretans loved them being there because of all the money they brought in. But having talked to lots of locals they said that most of them really resented America 'taking over' parts of their country.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I can see that. Also in Europe there's been a lot of suburban sprawl up to the bases so it's difficult for the army/etc. to train. Plus, if the US is going to have soldiers in the Middle East, I'd like us to cut back in Europe.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Also, it seems rather pointless having troops in Europe really, after all its not exactly a lawless place.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think they were there really against the USSR invading Europe like they did: the Cheq Republic and Hungary come to mind. And then by putting missles across Europe in the 80's, the Premier of the USSR later said that's when he knew the Soviet Union was finished because they couldn't keep up financially.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Simbelyne
    Also, it seems rather pointless having troops in Europe really, after all its not exactly a lawless place.

    Funny thing. Someone said almost the exact same thing in 1910.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think we're safe enough now, thank you. Those troops would be put to better use elsewhere; perhaps back at home keeping all the redneck militiamen in check?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    perhaps back at home keeping all the redneck militiamen in check

    If we go after them, I can see the sales of pick up trucks dropping...:lol:

    I think the new us military will be more agile...more like special ops or a little bigger...to fight terrorists or a troop like the one that attacked the Moscow theater.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by pnjsurferpoet
    If we go after them, I can see the sales of pick up trucks dropping...:lol:

    I think the new us military will be more agile...more like special ops or a little bigger...to fight terrorists or a troop like the one that attacked the Moscow theater.

    Yeah, the days of huge nuclear subs/bases should be over. Highly specialised, small and effective units should be the norm.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think I understand what Bush is like. He seems to hold a grudge and he seems to view the world as friends or not. And if there is a military move to create bases in Poland at the expense of German bases...I don't think it will be just a strategic move. It will also be about Bush getting back at Germany's PM. For instance, he canceled a meeting with Canada's PM to hang out with Australia's at his ranch in Texas.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Move was planned before any of the stuff about Iraq happened.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Greenhat
    Move was planned before any of the stuff about Iraq happened.

    So it has absolutely nothing to do with Iraq?:rolleyes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm sure the Germans are utterly devastated to see the Americans go... :rolleyes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Simbelyne
    So it has absolutely nothing to do with Iraq?:rolleyes:

    May have been accelerated by the Iraq circumstances, that's all.

    Aladdin,

    As a matter of fact, a lot of Germans are. A lot of jobs are going to be lost as well as income.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd imagine about 10,000 people and their families will no doubt be affected by the departure.

    The remaining 79,990,000 Germans will be somehow more upbeat.


    BTW Greenhat, I don't want to start a new thread for just one unrelated question so I'll ask it here. I was watching a programme yesterday about WWII paratroopers and was wondering something: is there an 'unwritten rule' in warfare against shooting a paratrooper when he's descending (and therefore being little more than a sitting duck)? Or are they considered 'fair game' during their descent?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Or are they considered 'fair game' during their descent?

    A lot were shot during that war...as they got hung up on trees etc. There's no unwritten law.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Let's see...

    At Crete, the British shot German paratroopers as they descended..

    In Sicily, Normandy and Holland, the Germans shot Allied paratroopers as they descended...

    On Grenada, the Cubans shot at American paratroops as they descended...

    No rule, written or otherwise. Combatants are targets, hanging in a parachute or not. Part of the reason that US combat jumps are at low altitude (500 feet). Reduces the amount of time that a jumper is under canopy.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanks. I don't know why I thought otherwise.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Aladdin
    Thanks. I don't know why I thought otherwise.

    It's because we only see films where our paratroopers are winning and our side would never be shown doing such a dishonourable thing!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Simbelyne
    It's because we only see films where our paratroopers are winning and our side would never be shown doing such a dishonourable thing!

    Not many others have paratroopers...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Greenhat
    Not many others have paratroopers...

    That could also be the reason!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Aladdin
    I'd imagine about 10,000 people and their families will no doubt be affected by the departure.

    The US spends a couple of billion dollars in Germany on facilities, local employees, leases and damage payments. In addition, there is an estimated 500 million spent by the soldiers and their families in local economy. I would hope that sort of money would effect more than 10,000 people...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Greenhat
    The US spends a couple of billion dollars in Germany on facilities, local employees, leases and damage payments. In addition, there is an estimated 500 million spent by the soldiers and their families in local economy. I would hope that sort of money would effect more than 10,000 people...

    But I imagine that the loss of money would be more than made up by the feeling that they own their own country once more. Did you read my post about the US naval base on Crete?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Simbelyne
    But I imagine that the loss of money would be more than made up by the feeling that they own their own country once more.

    Of course it would, they'd much prefer not to have jobs... no income... [/sarcasm]
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Man Of Kent
    Of course it would, they'd much prefer not to have jobs... no income... [/sarcasm]

    For the minority, i think that would be the case, but the vast majority would be pleased, i think.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Even without that loss of revenue, the German economy is going to grow this year by less than 1%. There's something else that happened as a result of the Iraqi War and the War on Terror, I believe most Americans see the French, Belguians and Germans as people who will appease terrorists regardless of any ethical considerations. Clandestines proud post about why Belguim is more safe, an erroneous assessment, than say the US or UK, shows the miscalculation their cowardly efforts have been. What's difficult to measure is what impact a major market's opinion will have on those countries. For instance, instead of Belgium chocolates and French wines as being seen as prestigious, unique in taste and high quality, many in America just few them as products produced by disgusting, untrustworthy people with no morals and no courage.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Good job that most European countries (probably all) main trading partners are other European countries, the effect of a European withdrawal of capital from the US would damage you more than the US not buying European goods.......
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